Some evenings are so perfectly wonderful you question if they ever really happened. Our wedding reception comes to mind as one of those evenings. I remember sitting at the head table, glancing around the room of our reception hall and being overwhelmed by the love in the room, wondering if there would ever be another time in our lives we'd be surrounded by everyone we love so dearly in one room? It's a moment and feeling I hope to never forget. Two weeks ago we experienced another one of those evenings. We were staying at an incredibly cozy 2-bedroom, 1-bath cottage with our 20+ ministry team enjoying the opportunity to trade our responsibilities, cell service, and technology for three very slow, very adventurous, and very sunny days.

On the last evening, as part of our teams annual lake days traditions, we each throw on the silliest hat we can find, take a slow and short walk down the quiet country road, and ride the most charming ferry across the lake and back. It's silly simple. Not fancy in the least. But it was an evening I've tucked away as one of those perfectly wonderful moments. The laughter that evening was contagious, the pace appropriately slow, the ice cream flavors abundant, and the air wholly warm, yet hinting at the fall days to come.

Here's just a few snapshots from our time together!

^^^ Could there be a more perfect picture to describe summer in Wisconsin?

^^^ This ferry. It was perfectly slow. And the sky. Goodness it was divine. We could not have asked for a more lovely evening with a more exceptional team of men and women.

We could not be more thankful to begin this school year with our teammates!